Fresh Goods Friday 620: The Harnessing Cyclists Edition

by , and 22

Turmoil. There’s no other word for it. An early morning run to the airport (the wrong sort, where you send people you want to stay, home) resulted in me (Hannah) hearing the shipping forecast. It’s been a while. The words are the same, but the voice is all wrong. How can any sailor take notes as their ship is tossed about in the waves if the intonation is all squew-wiff and waffly? Next you’ll be telling me that the football results don’t get read like:

– three…
RoversRotherham
Tranmere– nil.
Calibre T3 Hardtails: High stoke, l...
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Don’t tell me. I can’t take any more turmoil. Thank goodness everything else in the world is calm, right?

Anyway. It’s Friday, so before anyone starts a rumour about the Today Programme and nuclear bunker time, let us reassure you with Fresh Goods Friday. Reassuringly just about lunch time. Chant your ‘how much!’ mantras and feel that feeling of calm descend upon you.

RIP to The ‘Oolio

Industry Nine Trail 270 24H Wheels

We’ll be doing a piece all about Industry Nine – and these specific wheels – very soon but in the meantime we just couldn’t sit on the pics any longer. Just at ’em! Somehow extremely colourful yet not gawdy. Alloy rim, 6-pawl Hydra freehub body, 24 spokes, 27mm internal width, spokes-are-the-nipples design, 2-year warranty, loads (LOADS) of colour options and combos.

Specialized Trail Pants

Hannah was amazed to have found some trousers that are long enough – helped by the fact they have super snug and stretchy calves and ankles so they stay down as you pedal – only to discover they are in fact men’s. Which will explain the length, and also the fact she had to squeeze a bit to get them over her hips. But tall women may like to note that Hannah is in a size 32 here, and would be a size 12-14 in women’s bottoms. Ratchet strap waist, pockets galore, and VaporRize fabric designed to stop you getting sweaty.

Specialized Women’s Trail Alpha Jacket

A fuzzy fluffy Polartec Alpha lined jacket designed to be worn as a mid layer on grim days. It’s also available in a rather fetching maroon colour, but Hannah will be blending into the darkness in this black number. Or just wearing it at home to keep the heating off a little longer.

Specialized Women’s Trail Wind Jacket

A floaty light windproof jacket for throwing on in light showers or when the icy blast hits you as you round the lee of the hill. Scrunches down to almost nothingness, pulls on over your head with a half zip. Hannah is in a medium here, which would make for a snug and non-flappy outer on a bike.

Specialized Men’s Trail Rain Jacket

Trail rain is our favourite type of rain. This jacket then. 2.5-layer woven fabric, breathable, waterproof. Relaxed fit.
Minimal bulk. Built-in packable pocket makes for easy storage. Over-the-helmet hood (JUST SAY YES TO HOODS ON RIDING JACKETS! Ahem. Sorry.)

Specialized Men’s SWAT Jacket

Thin ting. Breathable, wind-resistant fabric with a DWR coating. This jacket doesn’t house a myriad of pockets (not sure why it bears the SWAT tag tbh but hey). Built-in pocket helps its stash-ability we think. Abrasion panels will do their best to keep it from the dreaded rips that so often knacker such thin fabric garments. Under-helmet elasticated ‘scuba’ hood (YES TO HOODS etc).

Specialized Men’s Trail Jersey L/S

MiniR is a trademarked fabric. Made from a “yarn technology that reflects the sun’s rays to keep the wearer cool”. High UPF rating, ideal for UK winter lolz. Crew neck. Fabric: 80% polyester, 14% cotton, 6% Spandex.

Specialized Men’s Trail Power Grid Jersey LS

Polartec Power Grid fabric. Fabric outer surface is engineered to disperse moisture for fast evaporation. Lightweight garment that still aims to keep you warm. Front ‘kangaroo pocket’ with hidden secure zip. 4-way stretch fabrication.

Marzocchi Bomber Z1 Coil

Benji is all about the bounce. Specifically, coil sprung bounce. He’s got a set of 140mm travel MRP Ribbon Coil forks on a bike at the moment. And he’s just finished off the next issue’s coil rear shock test. Safe to say, he’s sold on the coil. With that in mind, he’s got a set of 160mm coil forks from Marzocchi. Yep, the Bomber Z1. Grip damper adjusted via sweep dial on top of leg. Light(er)weight tempered silicon-chromium steel spring (available in 4 spring rates, this has a Medium). ‘Noise management system. External preload adjuster to dial in sag and off the top feel/firmness. Travel can easily be changed in 10mm increments via included reconfigurable internal spacers.

[Insert nostalgic waffle about the old orange Z1 from the 90s here]

Fair Bicycle Daily Hook

Fair Bicycle aims to make products that can be continuously recycled and are ethically sourced. This is their second product, joining the ‘Drop Best’ dropper post widget. While the Drop Best is for the Reverb using market, this is aimed at the commuter or bikepacker who wants to strap a bunch of stuff to their bike. The strap is made from an old inner tube, so stretches to more than double its 104cm length. The hooks have a rubber coating, and have a CNCd aluminium hook with steel spring. The hooks should fits any tube or profile with a max. diameter of 16mm. Hannah has sadly discovered that her cargo bike’s racks are extra thick, so now she’s hunting around for other things to strap onto.

Clarks BMX Grip C83

  • Price: £5.99 eBay
  • From: Clarks
Pink Clarks BMX push-on grips (yellow DMR Sect push-ons in the background)

Benji here. After my son bought himself (yes, I know I am tight) some new grips, the yellow DMR Sect push-ons in the background of the pic above, I found myself being inexorably drawn back into the oft-frustrating world of non-lock-on grips. I like push-on grips… until they start to rotate around the handlebars.

Well, a bit of internetting lead me to this YouTube vid from Bike Mag (RIP) which basically says that shot-peened finish alloy handlebars will always lead to spinning push-on grips. After parcel taping the ends of my alloy Thomson bars… it seems to have done the trick. Anyway, I’m giving the concept another go, initially with these cheap AF (and harsh AF) push-on grips from Clarks. Because they are pink and cheap. Like me.

A Cyclist’s Harness

  • Price: £2.00 (that’s one pound per harness)
  • From: Bargain World, Rawtenstall

My local sells-everything shop is possibly my favourite shop. I sometimes take the kids there for a day out (did I mention I was cheap?) because there’s just so much to see and wonder at. I didn’t buy these grips – sorry, Cyclist Harness – but I thought you all would to see them.

Bosch Performance Line XC Race

This week the embargo date for the new Bosch ebike motor lifted. Mark was at the launch, up at Tweedlove and even did-a-race on the new motor. You can read Mark’s report and early verdict here.

bose speaker deal
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room

Charlie says: “I splashed out on one of these to fill the merch area with curious music and Alexi Sayle’s revolutionary podcasts. Its waterproof, it floats, it can be paired to another speaker for even more loudness, and has an up to 12 hour battery life. The volume is very impressive and more than ample for all but the biggest parties. The sound quality is staggering with base lines in old Sabbath songs surging forth with fantastic clarity like a giant killer bulldozer rollercoaster, in what feels like the first time I have ever heard them. Were my old speakers really hiding so much detail? Friends, I now sound-bathe in a sonic temple, naked, surrendering to the awesome sound.”

Traffic-Free Cycle Trails Book

traffic free trails book
aha… bastard free trails ahoy.

Charlie says: “Hands up who hates traffic… yeah me too. You know despite owning a bike shop for many years my children barely cycled, and always well away from traffic. Traffic is dangerous super shite. **** traffic. So a book with over 400 traffic free trails across England, Wales and Scotland is very welcome. Grab your gravel bike, sling on a seat pack full of pies and cheese, and if you are taking cheese a small bottle of Merlot feels appropriate… and bang out some miles well away from the bastards in cars.”

Thread Of The Week

Congratulations(?) to codybrennan for this week’s runaway winner…

Every week the winning TOTW in FGF gets a prize. And it’s now the fabulous majestic Singletrack x Granite Designs RockBand Strap that is to be awarded.

So.. hiya codybrennan! Please email editorial@singletrackworld.com to get yr strap on, as it were. Please include your postal address, as it’ll really speed up despatch.

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Exmoor is nice. So too is the Merida EX event. Put it on your To Do List.

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Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

More posts from Ben

Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • Fresh Goods Friday 620: The Harnessing Cyclists Edition
  • pmurden
    Full Member

    The SWAT jacket is apparently named as such because it fits into the downtube SWAT compartment on Spesh bikes. It’s also rather good at what it does too. I hope this helps?

    nickc
    Full Member

    Those wheels…Are somehow simultaneously uber desirable, and yet fascinatingly; cheap-tat looking.

    Also, Specialised clothing looks really good, they are annoyingly good at this stuff (like helmets and shoes as well) I could be head to toe in the stuff…

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Is it not a fail to have silver hubs and black rims? Spoke colour, and yes I’m a sad magpie king of bling, I quite like.

    teethgrinder
    Full Member

    Industry Nine Trail 270 24H Wheels

    How much!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Mainly as there’s no price.

    But seriously, 24 spokes? **** stupid, as there’s barely any 24h rims if you knack one.

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    Somehow extremely colourful yet not gawdy

    I dread to think what gawdy looks like. Those wheels are on par with https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/house-sales-pictures-we-have-a-new-pinnacle-%f0%9f%98%b3/

    Is it not a fail to have silver hubs and black rims? Spoke colour, and yes I’m a sad magpie king of bling, I quite like.

    If they’d done the fade from the gunmetal/blue/silver/whatever colour of the hub, through to match the black of the rim, that could have looked pretty good (might still have looked awful just a bit less like unicorn vomit)

    pnik
    Full Member

    Half man half biscuit. Who knew, that’s persistence for you..been a long time since the trumpton riots

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Those wheels are very cool!

    a11y
    Full Member

    Is it not a fail to have silver hubs and black rims?

    Almost definitely. Answering with near conviction as I have a set of silver Pro4s with black DT rims, and I ain’t cool.

    jimthesaint
    Full Member

    Silver hubs and black rims look good on a shiny silver Pike.

    WildHunter2009
    Full Member

    I like the wheels, and I like everything about that Z1 other than the price…. In my head Marzocchi forks are still the good value cool bits you bought because you couldnt afford Fox 🙁

    sharkattack
    Full Member

    Sorry but if Bomber Z1’s aren’t nail varnish orange I don’t want to know.

    Also, I’m in the push on grip camp. I stopped using lock-ons years ago because the trends were for ever thinner, less comfortable designs. ODI Longnecks slipped onto a Renthal Fatbar with GT85. They never, ever move.

    In my head Marzocchi forks are still the good value cool bits you bought because you couldnt afford Fox 🙁

    In my head Marzocchi are the company who made the first suspension forks that ever really worked in the way you would expect quality suspension to work, long before Fox forks existed. The first Bomber forks were a revelation and left everyone else playing catch up.

    aide
    Full Member

    Channelling your inner Irvine Welsh – malibou stork nightmares with the football scores there

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    In my head Marzocchi are the company who made the first suspension forks that ever really worked in the way you would expect quality suspension to work, long before Fox forks existed. The first Bomber forks were a revelation and left everyone else playing catch up.

    Yea, it’s a bit of a shame they lost their way sometime after the first iteration of the 66 and 888. Simple forks with simple to understand (RC2) dampers that just worked well. Then it all became TST-Micro-sl-air-ride’s-like-its-made-of-wooden-leaf-springs-made-by-suntour.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I basically want to see a detailed comparison between the Bombers and the equivalent Foxes- how the core chassis varies or is the same, what the compatibility is, etc. Cos I have some 36s with coils in which are fantastic, but if I was buying today I suspect I’d buy Bombers and maybe upgrade the damping… So I reckon their most direct competitor might well be an upgraded coil Fox rather than anything else? And if they’ve kept the compatibility good, then a Bomber with a grip2 or a 36 with a bomber coil in could be basically the best fork you can buy.

    (why the **** don’t Fox do a coil or a coil kit? They can surely see people spending £300 for aftermarket, and they presumably have all the bits, just stick em in a bag and sell it!)

    Love those wheels btw. The absolute ****ing hubris of a logo on a spoke is amazing. Love that frame too.

    b33k34
    Full Member

    Yea, it’s a bit of a shame they lost their way sometime after the first iteration of the 66 and 888

    The 44 and 55 RC3Ti were both wonderful forks (some years later I think) . (but yes, I wasted a load of money on a few sets of TST junk).

    Does anyone make super simple open bath coil sprung, simple to service, forks any more?

    noeffsgiven
    Free Member

    Love those wheels, apart from being 8 spokes short and the impending rigmarole of a dinged rim replacement, their options don’t tick all the boxes for me, everything of interest in 27.5 rear was 28 hole, but I suppose if you can only send the wheel back to them for a new rim it sorta makes sense, I just don’t trust anything under 32h and 24 just scares me, especially at that price.

    ktache
    Free Member

    Push on grips. Start with hairspray, cheap, extra hold. And when that stops working, doesn’t work for long enough discover that Renthal make Grip glue, and when that still doesn’t last quite long enough find they do a quick setting version. Bit like super glue. Still on the standard.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    b33k34
    Full Member

    The 44 and 55 RC3Ti were both wonderful forks (some years later I think) . (but yes, I wasted a load of money on a few sets of TST junk)

    I thought my 44 tis were divey and uncontrolled tbh, I lusted after them for ages and I was so disappointed. Incredibly supple, yeah, but that was all they did well imo. But then they were pretty much in a class of one since nobody else had a modern trailbike coil fork at the time I think? I went back to my coil-converted blackbox-damped Revs and tbf they made the 44s look a bit rubbish.

    noeffsgiven
    Free Member
    I just don’t trust anything under 32h and 24 just scares me, especially at that price.

    See, I totally thought that but I’ve started to think that a strong rim and less spokes is a better way to do it. If you’ve got less spokes you can put more metal in the rim where it’s really needed the most, and have a same-weight wheel with better overall strength. I’ve got a 24/28h setup in the trailbike now and I was skeptical but it’s been really good.

    Except for the lack of rim choice obviously! But luckily I could get what I wanted in 24 and 28.

    WildHunter2009
    Full Member

    First bike upgrade was replacing some deeply mediocre RS Dukes with some MX Comp Etas. I loved those forks

    robertajobb
    Full Member

    Ive still got a pair of those TST-Micro-sl-air-ride’s-like-its-made-of-wooden-leaf-springs-made-by-suntour forks, now propping up the front end of an old Kona hardtail. When I say propping up, that’s one one side of the fork. The other leg is a bit lower, and clunky and full of stiction, and the forks go up and down in a stuttery ‘yourheadset is loose and your through axle isn’t tightened up’ sort of way.
    They were shiiite about 20 miles after new. And haven’t improved any with age.

    didnthurt
    Full Member

    Lower spoke count wheels IME go out of true more easily and are harder to straighten once they get a bit wonky. Plus they require higher spoke tension which results in a harsher ride, suppose this doesn’t matter then they’re on a full sus bike.

    32 spokes in all my wheels (except my cross bike but that’s because they were cheap/light and a stop gap till I buy something better.

    I do like the rainbow look. Would look great on a black bike.

    didnthurt
    Full Member

    Agree that there should be a simple coil open bath fork out there, I’d be interested in a pair.

Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)

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